1. Field of Endeavor
The present invention relates to devices, systems, and processes useful in patient airway maintenance, and more specifically to devices and methods that perform a jaw thrust.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
The jaw thrust is a technique used on patients in a supine position to open the patient's trachea (airway), which has become blocked by the backward movement of the lower jaw (mandible) relative to the rest of the patient's skull, which in turn can cause the patient's airway to be blocked. The practitioner typically uses their thumbs to physically push the posterior (back) aspects of the mandible forward and into a position in which the airway is no longer blocked. When the mandible is displaced forward, it pulls the tongue forward and prevents it from blocking (occluding) the entrance to the trachea, helping to ensure a patent (securely unobstructed) airway.
Numerous devices have in the past been proposed for assisting in this procedure, which have been met with limited acceptance. Among the difficulties with prior devices is that many secure the patient's head to the device and/or to the surface (e.g., an operating table) on which the patient is positioned, which limits the medical practitioner's ability to perform procedures on the patient's head and neck. Additionally, many prior devices address only the relative position of the mandible and the associated position of the patient's tongue, and do not address other portions of the patient's airway.